Bill Hemmer Advances GOP Meme That There's No War On Women

Despite the reality that GOP is making concerted attempts, some of them successful, to role back women's reproductive rights to the dark ages, the GOP is claiming that there's no war on women. As the mouthpiece for the GOP, it's not surprising to see Fox "News" promote this right wing talking point. Today, Bill Hemmer scored a propaganda two-fer in his interview with two GOP, anti-choice female governors. Not only did they get to dismiss the war on women meme; but they used their platform to bash the Obama administration all while Hemmer flashed his trademark aw shucks grin. Meanwhile they didn't address women's health care issues which are the core of the charge that the GOP is waging war on women. Nothing to see here, move along.

Hemmer reported that "the story line being pushed during this presidential race is the so-called war on women" waged by Republicans." He showed a recent poll (considered an "outlier" by MSNBC's Chuck Todd) which shows Obama's favorability rating, among women, dropping (Now 46-50). He didn't show Romney's numbers which are lower (41 to 48). He then welcomed his guests and faithful GOP handmaidens, Gov. Nikki Haley and Gov. Mary Fallin. Haley talked about how women are interested in far more than reproductive issues and are focused on the economy. After Hemmer cited the many abortion rights speeches at the Democratic convention, Fallin, who cited her six children, talked about how women are suffering under Obama.

While much of the discussion centered around the deficiencies of the Obama administration, nothing was said about the severe attempts, by the GOP, to role back reproductive rights - attempts that have been made by both Haley and Fallin who are virulently anti-choice (100% Right to Life approval) and under whose administrations severe anti-choice laws have been passed as well as cutbacks to the social safety net for those women who do give birth.

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The feminist movement (of which I was and remain a proud member) made it pretty difficult for conservatives with a Taliban mindset to turn back the clock. The numbers provided by Thx4 Fish tell us that this is not stopping them from trying. That’s part of the democratic process and it’s up to us to defend and expand women’s rights on all fronts.

The aspirations of conservatism are encapsulated in the very word: they will always dig in their heels to maintain the status quo by resisting progress and by doing everything they can to roll progress back if they lose. Their reluctance to embrace innovation is useful if it stimulates analysis and discussion. By refusing any and all invitations to cooperate, the party of “no” became a dead-weight, a hindrance to progress.

Somebody already said this; but it was people like them who remained loyal to the British Crown, who opposed the wording of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and who would happily bring back such dubious practices like segregation, mandatory internment and censureship of anything that they do not agree with.

I’m assuming that even they would not want to bring back slavery or deny the vote to women and non-whites. No way to be sure, however.

Since 2010, 1,100 pieces of legislation have been introduced at the state level regarding women’s reproductive health services. The Repubs are not trying to get more health care for women, they want less of it. If Repubs don’t want to discuss all of these bills about women’s healthcare then they need to stop submitting them, and try coming up with some jobs bills we can discuss. —Oh, well, they don’t have any of those, but they would like to lower taxes for the rich again-just in case that works this time around.